This invention relates to the evolving of an efficient method for the faster multiplication of earthworms and production of superior quality vermicompost from the distillation waste of industrial aromatic crops.
Most of the biodegradable organic wastes can be converted in to vermicompost and these include agricultural wastes like weeds, husks, straw, stubble, dung and bio-gas; urban solid wastes like kitchen wastes, waste from vegetable and fruits market yards; agro industry waste like unused pulp and peels of fruits, press-mud, seed husk etc. (Singh and Rai, 1998, Yojna 10-12). However, no information is available on production of vermicompost through utilization of wastes of essential oil bearing plants. This is imperative and important in view of the fact that some lakh hectares of land is already under essential oil plant crops and the area under such crops is expected to further grow in near future.
In India, about 3 million tons of distilled waste is produced annually which is of no or limited economic use and remains unutilized and rots in the fields during rains posing a sequel of environmental and health problems. Though, most of the organic wastes can be converted into vermicompost, utilization of distilled wastes of essential oil crops would be a better option for converting this into vermicompost as the same has no or limited economic use, is not consumed by animals as feed and during the process of distillation there is a complete degradation of the plant material and does not require predecomposition.
Experiments have been carried out and a process has been developed for the faster multiplication of earthworms and production of superior quality compost from distilled waste of industrial aromatic crops like scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), citronella (C. winterianus), and menthol mint (Mentha arvensis). The compost produced from the distillation waste of said crops is of good quality, at par or even better than the vermicomposts produced from other agricultural wastes.
The object of the present invention is to develop an efficient method for the faster multiplication of earthworms and production of superior quality vermicompost from the distillation waste of industrial aromatic crops.
Another object of the present invention is to produce high quality composts from the distillation wastes of aromatic crops.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an efficient method for the faster multiplication of earthworms and production of superior quality vermicompost from the distillation waste of industrial aromatic crops, where said method comprising steps of:
(a) drying of distillation waste obtained after distillation of herbage for 2-5 hours at 10-40 lbs. steam pressure in open for 10-72 h,
(b) chopping the waste into small pieces of at least 15 cm,
(c) transferring this material of about 20-30 cm layer into compost pits containing about 7-10 cm layer of partially rotten cowdung and 400-450 earthworms/m3,
(d) daily watering of the pits to keep the plant material moist and covering them to check the loss of humidity,
(e) reloading the pits about 20-30 cm layer with the chopped distilled waste after 30-35 days,
(f) restricting watering after complete degradation of the added material,
(g) harvesting of the dried material and shade drying the same for 4-5 days and
(h) sieving the harvested compost to remove earthworms.
In an embodiment of the invention wherein the earthworms are selected from the group comprising Perionyx excavatus, Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrie or others
In another embodiment of the invention wherein the distilled waste of the crops are selected from the group comprising scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), citronella (C. winterianus), and menthol mint (Mentha arvensis), marigold (Tagetes) sp., patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli) or others.
In yet another embodiments of the invention wherein the other types of waste materials used are selected from the group comprising medicinal/spice crop /plants like Plantago ovata, Papavar someniferum, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgarae or others.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the number of worms harvested in the distillate waste is in the range between 6 to 8 times.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention is to obtain the distillate waste conversions to the compost in a shorter period say about 120 days.
In yet another embodiment, the nitrogen content of the vermicompost from the distillate waste is higher than the conventional vermicompost.
In yet another embodiment the nutritive values of the distillate waste is maintained as of the conventional wastes.
In yet another embodiment the nitrogen content, organic carbon content, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients like iron of the vermicompost from the distillate waste are higher than the conventional vermicompost.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of vermicompost obtained from distillation wastes of aromatic/medicinal crops are in the range as given below.
The invention is described in details in the examples given below which are provided to illustrate the invention and therefore should not be considered to limit the scope of the present invention.